Spring Warrior Church of Christ

7432 S. Red Padgett Road

Perry, FL 32348
584-5176

Prove All Things Vol. 1 No. 34

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21

Tarzan Underwear is Dangerous by Bill Blue, bill@bibleweb.com [9/26/01]

Only a parent knows the mind of a child, especially a parent who has tried to
potty-train a two-year old boy. Lori and I are currently trying to potty-train William.
We have tried everything. Currently we are simply putting underwear on William and
hoping for the best. Should the worse occur, we hope that discomfort will (eventually?)
persuade him that going in the potty is preferable to going in his undies.

If parents are born as opposed to made, I clearly lack the potty-training gene.
When Lori and I attempted to entice – persuade – order William to wear a pair of briefs
adorned with the Lord of the Jungle, we were rebuffed with the wild and dramatic cry, “I
can’t wear them; they’re dangerous!” I am presently searching the Internet to see if
Depends makes sizes appropriate for little people.

William does not understand the necessity of potty training. After all, everything
has worked well for him so far. He goes. We change him. He goes again. What could
possibly be easier and more convenient for him? Clearly, William is thinking as a child.
One day, hopefully in the not-to-distant future, William will believe that he should use
the potty.

The Bible understands that people mature, and grow in knowledge (Heb. 5:12-
6:2). The Bible describes those in need of instruction as “babes” (Heb. 5:13; 1 Cor. 3:1).
Paul and the writer of Hebrews (quite possibly Paul again) use our familiarity with
children as an illustration to describe new converts because we understand that babies
are ignorant of many things they must learn to survive in this world such as walk, avoid
hot stoves, and (hopefully) how to use toilets.

Nonetheless, there are those who believe and teach that unless a baby is baptized,
it will not go to heaven even if it dies as a baby. Thus, uninspired men have created the
unbiblical doctrine of infant baptism.

Bibleweb.com, Copyright © 2001 William W. Blue All Rights Reserved

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Proponents of infant baptism argue:
The Greek text of John 3:5, reads “Unless
one is born of water and spirit…” not
“unless a man is born of water and spirit.”
[Thus, because] A child is “one,” [infants
should be baptized.]
“[N]owhere in Mark 16 does it say that
believing and Baptism have to occur at the
same time.”
“Mark 16:15 states ‘Go into the whole
world and preach the gospel to every
creature’ or ‘to all nations.’ That would
certainly include children.”
Bibleweb.com, Copyright © 2001 William W. Blue All Rights Reserved
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The Bible says:
Acts 8:12, reads: “But when they believed
Philip as he preached the things
concerning the kingdom of God and the
name of Jesus Christ, both men and
women were baptized.” Does this mean
that no babies were baptized because no
babies believed?
The Bible says belief must occur before
baptism. “Now as they went down the
road, they came to some water. And the
eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What
hinders me from being baptized?’ Then
Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your
heart, you may’” (Acts 8:36-37). The first
converts, Simon and the other Samaritans,
the Philippian Jailer, Crispus and the other
Corinthians all believed before baptism
(Acts 2:37-41; 8:12-13; 16:30-33; 18:8).
Lydia also appears to have believed before
baptism (Acts 16:14-15).
Read out of context it would also include
dogs and cats, but we do not baptize them
either (note the word “creature” in verse
15).
The next verse, 16, concludes that, “he who
does not believe will be condemned.”
Assume an infant is baptized, but does not
believe. Will the infant go to hell, or
should the text read, “He who believes not
and is baptized will be saved?”
Proponents of infant baptism argue:
“Read Acts 16:15, 33, 18:8, 1 Cor. 1:16,
where ‘whole households’ and ‘all of his
family’ were baptized.”
The Bible says:
Nowhere in the Bible does one read that an
infant or anyone incapable of
understanding God’s word has been, or
must be, baptized.

Is it safe to assume that the word

“For sure there is no biblical record that
children were not baptized. …”
“St. Paul tells us that Baptism for
Christians replaces circumcision, yet
circumcision made even children God’s
chosen people.”
household necessarily includes children?
Is it possible that these household did not
include children? If that possibility exists,
should we assume that children are
present?
You cannot infer positive authority (i.e., a
command) from Biblical silence (Heb.
7:14). For example, there is no Biblical
record that children were given miraculous
abilities like the Apostles, or divine
inspiration like many other Christians.
Are we free to assume from this silence
that children received these abilities?
In the Old Testament, only males were
circumcised. Does this mean that only
males should be baptized, and that only
males are going to heaven? Furthermore,
there is nothing in the Bible to suggest that
Baptism alone (with belief, confession, and
repentance) accomplishes anything.

The Bible describes baptism as an “elementary principle” that must be taught

(Heb. 6:1-2). Philip undoubtedly explained baptism to the Ethiopian Eunuch because
Philip had to explain the necessity of belief before baptism (Acts 8:36-37).

William is having a difficult time understanding the necessity of toilet training

and wearing underwear. As his father, I am confident he cannot appreciate the
necessity of baptism, what it accomplishes, or why. William believes wearing Tarzan
underwear is dangerous, but he will survive this. However, teaching people that infant
baptism saves children, now that is dangerous.

Bibleweb.com, Copyright © 2001 William W. Blue All Rights Reserved

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